California Codes

Cal. Civil Code § 51.5 (2026)

✓ current as of May 2026
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(a)No business establishment of any kind whatsoever shall discriminate against, boycott or blacklist, or refuse to buy from, contract with, sell to, or trade with any person in this state on account of any characteristic listed or defined in subdivision (b) or (e) of Section 51, or of the person’s partners, members, stockholders, directors, officers, managers, superintendents, agents, employees, business associates, suppliers, or customers, because the person is perceived to have one or more of those characteristics, or because the person is associated with a person who has, or is perceived to have, any of those characteristics.

(b)As used in this section, “person” includes any person, firm, association, organization, partnership, business trust, corporation, limited liability company, or company.

(c)This section shall not be construed to require any construction, alteration, repair, structural or otherwise, or modification of any sort whatsoever, beyond that construction, alteration, repair, or modification that is otherwise required by other provisions of law, to any new or existing establishment, facility, building, improvement, or any other structure, nor shall this section be construed to augment, restrict, or alter in any way the authority of the State Architect to require construction, alteration, repair, or modifications that the State Architect otherwise possesses pursuant to other laws.

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 54 cases (29 in the last 5 years), 1980–2025 · leading case: Johnson v. Riverside Healthcare Sys., LP, 534 F.3d 1116 (9th Cir. 2008).
Johnson v. Riverside Healthcare Sys., LP, 534 F.3d 1116 (9th Cir. 2008). · cites it 2× “B Johnson has also asserted claims against the defendants under California Civil Code § 51.5. Section 51.”
Walsh v. Tehachapi Unified Sch. Dist., 827 F. Supp. 2d 1107 (E.D. Cal. 2011). · cites it 2× “Similarly, California Civil Code section 51.5 provides, in relevant part: “[n] o business establishment of any kind whatsoever shall discriminate against .”
Strother v. S. California Permanente Med. Grp., 79 F.3d 859 (9th Cir. 1996). · cites it 6× “In March 1993, the district court granted the Medical Group’s 12(b)(6) motion to dismiss Strother’s FEHA discrimination claim “on the grounds that [Strother] is a bona fide partner of the medical group and not an employee for the purpose” of FEHA Strother later added Cal.”
People v. E.W.A.P. Inc., 106 Cal. App. 3d 315 (Cal. Ct. App. 1980). · cites it 2× “He discriminates against no one on account of race, color, or creed (Civ. Code, § 51.5), and scrupulously observes the rules relating to venue when suing defaulting customers.”
Alch v. Superior Court, 19 Cal. Rptr. 3d 29 (Cal. Ct. App. 2004). “” (Civ. Code, § 51.5, subd. (a).) Section 51.”
Holland v. Morse Diesel Internat., Inc., 2001 Cal. Daily Op. Serv. 1341 (Cal. Ct. App. 2001). “Background Holland’s original complaint included causes, of action for breach of contract, enforcement of a stop notice, recovery on a public works payment bond, breach of the covenant of good faith and fair dealing, negligent and intentional misrepresentation, and civil rights…”
Ambrosino v. Metro. Life Ins., 899 F. Supp. 438 (N.D. Cal. 1995). · cites it 4× “That statute provides that: No business establishment of any kind whatsoever shall discriminate against, boycott or blacklist, refuse to buy from, sell to, or trade with any person in this state because of the race, creed, religion, color, national origin, sex, or disability of…”
Butler v. Adoption Media, LLC, 486 F. Supp. 2d 1022 (N.D. Cal. 2007). · cites it 2× “are entitled to the full and equal accommodations, advantages, facilities, privileges, or services in all business establishments of every kind whatsoever.”
Semler v. Gen. Elec. Capital Corp., 196 Cal. App. 4th 1380 (Cal. Ct. App. 2011). · cites it 2× “Civil Code Section 51.5 By statute, “[n]o business establishment of any kind whatsoever shall discriminate against, boycott or blacklist, or refuse to buy from, contract with, sell to, or trade with any person in this state on account of any *1404 characteristic Usted or defined…”
S. California Hous. Rights Ctr. v. Los Feliz Towers Homeowners Ass'n, 426 F. Supp. 2d 1061 (C.D. Cal. 2005). “The Court therefore DENIES both motions for summary judgment as to the reasonable accommodation claim under the FEHA.”
C.B. v. Sonora Sch. Dist., 691 F. Supp. 2d 1123 (E.D. Cal. 2009). “” California Civil Code § 51.5(a) provides: "No business establishment of any kind whatsoever shall discriminate against .”
Molski v. Gleich, 318 F.3d 937 (9th Cir. 2003). “Cal. Civ.Code § 51.5(a). .Named plaintiff Molski sought statutory damages under both sections 52(a) and 54.”
— Cal. Civil Code § 51.5(a) — 7 cases
Johnson v. Riverside Healthcare Sys., LP, 534 F.3d 1116 (9th Cir. 2008). “B Johnson has also asserted claims against the defendants under California Civil Code § 51.5. Section 51.”
C.B. v. Sonora Sch. Dist., 691 F. Supp. 2d 1123 (E.D. Cal. 2009). “” California Civil Code § 51.5(a) provides: "No business establishment of any kind whatsoever shall discriminate against .”
Molski v. Gleich, 318 F.3d 937 (9th Cir. 2003). “Cal. Civ.Code § 51.5(a). .Named plaintiff Molski sought statutory damages under both sections 52(a) and 54.”
Butler v. Adoption Media, LLC, 486 F. Supp. 2d 1022 (N.D. Cal. 2007). “are entitled to the full and equal accommodations, advantages, facilities, privileges, or services in all business establishments of every kind whatsoever.”
Johnson v. Riverside Healthcare Sys., LP, 516 F.3d 759 (9th Cir. 2008).
Annotations are extracted automatically from the opinions in the Syfert caselaw corpus and ranked by authority, recency, and treatment. Dots show Syfertize treatment of the citing case itself.